Chapter 5

The morning dawned a gray pallor over Mossflower where light clouds were pouring a drizzling rain onto the thirsty forest. Birds with their new young huddled over them and gulped water off the leaves near their nests. The ditch across the road from the Abbey was suddenly teeming with life as the croaking of frogs, rejoicing in the falling water, came out to indulge themselves. All of life seemed to be celebrating the element to their survival; all expect the emotionally stricken Redwall and a lone figure carrying a sword west within the forest.

Inas trudged mechanically through the mud bare-pawed in a state of shock. With his head bowed, the water only splashed on his forehead and trailed down his muzzle as he kept his head down, his eyes crinkled in sadness. His thick tail left a clear dip in the mud as he dragged it along, but he didn't bother keeping it out. He wanted the Redwallers to find him.

There seemed to be no point in living anymore. He wouldn't be able to get away with the heinous crime against a beloved friend of Redwall, let alone get away with stealing the sword. The sword, Martin, they had caused him to behave so irrationally. He couldn't even think about taking the sword! He was sure the warrior mouse had directed his actions. While in shuddering at the thought of not being in control of his own actions, the weasel couldn't help but shed a few tears on the fact he couldn't prove it was Martin.

The salt tears mingled with the freshwater on his face while he trudged through the forest, not even shoving the wet and sticky leaves out of his way. The leaves on springy branches slapped his face and the thorns left scratches on his face, arms, and legs, but Inas remained oblivious, so absorbed into thoughts as he was.

'Martin, why'd you do this to me? You were mad at Aeno and Trat, I know, but did you have to use me to commit such a deed? I hate them, but was the sword so consequential that I had to kill Aeno with it? Oh, Martin, you've ruined my life,' Inas thought as he trudged through the muck. Either the protector of Redwall did what he did to be rid of all three, or he had something else planned. Considering Martin's nature, Inas figured it was the latter, but he couldn't for the life of him think of what might change his fate.

Snapping out of his reverie which he'd been sheltering in for the last few hours, Inas began to notice how hungry he was. He was so panicked and the Redwallers were so close that he hadn't had time to grab a quick breakfast. Tilting his head back he opened his mouth to the open sky which was still saturating the ground. Gulping the few drops that landed in his mouth, Inas shook the rain from his head, and walked over to some wild blueberry shrubs, which were blossoming with their fruit.

The weasel grimaced when he saw the fruit shriveled from the drought, but helped himself to the countless pieces regardless of their nutritious state. Momentarily satisfying his appetite, Inas turned to his left and began searching for a landmark to show where he was. A few minutes later he found himself on the dirt path and began traveling south, away from Redwall.

The weasel knew he'd be easy picking and in the clear for shots, but he needed to regain his sense of direction… And a nagging feeling kept him on the mud churned path as he traveled what he hoped was south. As he walked he also glanced around in the trees and bushes for life as he waited. He waited to see a squirrel spring from the trees and put an arrow through his head, to see a party of otters run him through with their double pointed spears--or see Trat, with anger and delight painted in his eyes as he engaged the weasel in battle.

But the world remained peaceful around him. Robins, sparrows, and other various birds shook the water from their bodies and preened their feathers, twittering to each other in their strange language. Inas' eyes widened in slight fear and surprise when a drab brown, fairly big snake slithered its way through the mud across his path and disappeared in the foliage on the other side of the road. There was no other movement. There wasn't even a wind leaving the air muggy and moist to breathe in with the sudden rainfall.

"Hold 'er still, mate an' dun let 'er get away!"

"Scumbags! I have nothing of value! Just pass by me and I won't give you the sound beating you deserve."

"Ho ho, is that so l'il mousey? I'd like to see ya keep yur word."

"Let my paws go an' I'll show you what a warrior I am!"

Inas' head jerked up when he saw a mouse unsuccessfully trying to keep the bandits that had assaulted her away, but two had already grabbed her arms and at least eight others were circling her like famished wolves. They'd already arrested her sword from her, which lay in the mud out of her reach. A weasel with a dagger smiled and put the point of his dagger to her chin and said, "Look, missy, you can jus' give us yur rations or we can steal 'em from ya and slit yur throat. It's a simple choice!"

The weasel harassing the mousemaid was what set Inas into a fury. 'That weasel is just proving how evil our kind is,' Inas thought as he trembled with rage at the sight. Blood began to fill his eyes from the anger, but he kept himself in check, and attempted to nonchalantly walk up to them.

A stoat who chuckled at the latest joke suddenly turned and saw Inas walking toward them with a furious tinged solemn, face. "'ey, Chief, look at that thur weasel walkin' up the path. Maybe we could get 'em to join our group."

The weasel turned also and grinned even wider, showing wolfish canines. He hailed Inas, "Haharr, mate, how 'bout ya help us take this mousey down! I'll give you a good percentage o' the plunder! Whaddya say?"

It was the last sentence the bandit ever spoke because at that moment, Inas' temper snapped and he gave into blood wrath. He roared, a fierce sound a badger would be proud of, and sprinted the remaining distance between him and the weasel bandit. For a moment, all the vermin could do was stare in open-mouthed shock, then Inas was on top of him swinging the beautiful sword of Martin with skill. With one swift swing, the weasel was headless and his body crumpled to the ground.

Inas didn't wait as he took the advantage of the group's momentary shock to run the stoat who'd seen him clean through and whirled around, bring the sword up and over the mousemaid to slice into the shoulder of the fox holding her. The fox screamed with the pain, but it was cut short by another swift thrust into his chest.

The mouse, free of one of her captives, used her free arm to punch the pine marten holding her other arm. Taking a knife from a holster strapped to the forearm of one paw, she began cutting into the other vermin on her side; her first kill was from the knife thrust into the throat of a ferret.

Still gripped within the horrible curse of blood wrath, the weasel was unrelenting as he continued to skillfully parry, thrust, and guarded himself. It was only after he had slain three more of the vermin did he finally regain control of his actions. Breathing between clenched teeth and watching them through red eyes, he trembled with more suppressed rage. Then he raised his sword, causing the entranced vermin to flinch, and pointed behind them, "Leave now! If I come across your filthy hides again, I will not hesitate to slay you!

Nodding dumbly, the remaining rodents sprinted to the east and into the foliage of the great Mossflower forest, too. They dared not to look back in case the red-eyed weasel was giving chase with his wondrous sword. Inas stuck to his word, and remained where he was trying to reign in his emotions. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply for several breaths and opened them again to see the mouse had stepped up beside him, studying his face with hard gray eyes. Then she nodded approvingly and bowed her head, "Thank you, sir, for risking your life to save mine. I am now in your debt."

Inas shook his head, but bowed back politely, then waved his paw as if to wave away her pronouncement of debt, "Think nothing of it, Ms…. Just trying to--to be a woodlander."

She seemed to notice the hesitation he said the statement in, and nodded her head in encouragement, "Well, you're doing a fine job. Not many vermin would leap to the rescue of any creature unless they could benefit from it."

Inas shifted uncomfortably under her keen gaze, then looked up at the pouring sky. He broke the uncomfortable atmosphere and said, "Come, we should get out of the rain." She only nodded and followed him to the sheltering branches of the trees. When they were a little bit dryer, Inas held out his paw, and smiled warmly, "I'm sorry, I should've introduced myself on the road. I'm Inas Reiz."

She smiled and took his paw in her smaller one and said, "I'm Fayal Sook. I'm a wanderer that happened to walk into this country. What about yourself?"

Inas cast his eyes to the ground, then answered her question, "I--I've lived in this forest for the last twelve years. I was raised by an old squirrel warrior of Redwall and his son. We farmed."

Fayal seemed to realize they were turning in a dangerous directions for Inas, but he could tell that she would persist. Instead, she focused on his sword, "That sword, it is very beautiful. Would that be the Sword of Martin that's supposed to be in Redwall? I've heard so many stories about it and how the blade is magical! May I touch it?"

Inas handed her the hilt to her and continued staring at the ground as she turned away from him and tested its sharpness, balance, and lightness. The weasel found he couldn't stare at the mud for long as the mousemaid warrior wielded the blade, twirled it, and sliced with the expertise of a true sword master. She smiled as her gray eyes sparkled with a hidden awe, then handed it back to him, gripping the metal blade so he could grasp the hilt.

"That's a very impressive weapon. I can see why any beast would want to carry that; you just seem to feel larger than life when that's with you," Fayal's eyes twinkled as she treaded into even more dangerous territory unknowingly. "I've heard Martin visits Redwallers in their dreams. Did he visit you?"

Inas paled and sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared at her. What could he say? He began to pant, and his face started to become hot, not from blushing, but from adrenaline rush. He had just met this nice mousemaid and now she would hand him to the Redwallers or kill him and take the sword back. He suddenly found himself on the wet ground with his head in his paws.

Fayal frowned suspiciously as she noted his behavior, then crouched down next to him and laid a comforting paw on his shoulder. Something was bothering him, she knew that much from the way he was and she had a feeling it was about the sword. Not wanting to patronize him, she continued to speak softly, "Go on. I'm listening."

Those were all the words it took for Inas to open up and recall his entire story for her. It was as if he collected everything, saw it from his view, absorbed it, and bottled it up. Then Fayal pulled the stopper keeping it in him and he released his emotions, concerns, hates, and fears onto her.

Despite having only just met Inas, Fayal sat down next to him in the grass, unheeding of the way her clothes soaked up the water and gave him a hug. "It doesn't matter what species you are, but no beast should ever have to suffer through the life you have. You killed your master, huh? Nothing less than what he deserved, but now the Redwallers are after you? Come then, we must leave this country."

Inas suddenly stood up, horrified and looked down upon her as she got up more slowly from the ground, "No, don't concern yourself with me. Just… Thanks for listening to me, but I will not allow you to get dragged into my quarrel with the Redwallers. I wouldn't want you getting hurt, or worse have the blame shifted so that we both share it. I am the only one to blame and I want to be the only one to suffer from it."

She narrowed her eyes venomously for a moment as she turned to face him and raised her nose so that she didn't seem so short, "I don't care! I am a warrior, I can take care of myself in any given situation. I refuse to leave and I will include myself in this escapade of yours. Nothing you say or do will get me to change my mind."

Her gray eyes were now burning like fire and resolution, and Inas knew that she wouldn't leave him. He gave in reluctantly and nodded, "Alright, Fayal Sook, you can come with me. I can see that I will certainly lose this argument as you appear to be even more stubborn than I am."

She grinned, then slung her own sword on her back and holstered her little knife into the rest sheath and said, "Well, up on your paws! We have a lot of ground to cover if we don't want to get caught! Let's go!"

Inas followed hastily, slinging Martin's sword across his back in its scabbard and both mouse and weasel began walking as fast as they could through the forest heading south, away from Redwall Abbey.